Cooks, Restaurant Salary in St. Louis, MO
Cooks, Restaurant in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $37,690 a year — 1% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,630 take-home, or $2,636 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,343
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,337
- Medicare (1.45%)$547
- Missouri income tax$834
- Take-home pay$31,630
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $377 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $31,253 ($2,604 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $29,690 | $14.27 | $25,578 | $2,131 |
| 25th percentile | $35,320 | $16.98 | $29,837 | $2,486 |
| Median (50th) | $37,690 | $18.12 | $31,630 | $2,636 |
| 75th percentile | $45,050 | $21.66 | $37,198 | $3,100 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,230 | $22.71 | $38,847 | $3,237 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $37,690 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $31,630 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,264 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Restaurant jobs are about as common in St. Louis, MO as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.07).
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #24 of 101 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane, WA | $44,230 | $37,719 | $37,589 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $46,560 | $37,630 | $36,943 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $47,730 | $40,531 | $36,471 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $47,170 | $38,588 | $34,946 |
| 5 | Worcester, MA | $44,250 | $35,742 | $34,863 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $44,370 | $36,587 | $34,588 |
| 7 | Omaha, NE | $37,840 | $31,742 | $34,536 |
| 8 | Atlantic City, NJ | $40,250 | $33,830 | $34,221 |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO | $37,690 | $31,630 | $33,264 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 101 metros →
About the job: cooks, restaurant
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +12.1% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Cooks, Restaurant salaries elsewhere in Missouri
- Kansas City, MO — $37,370
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in St. Louis, MO?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $37,690 a year, or about $18.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,320 and $45,050.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $37,690 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $31,630 a year ($2,636 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $834 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 1% above the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,264 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #24 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 38% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in St. Louis, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,520
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $36,200
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $34,340
- Food Preparation Worker — $32,400
- Dishwasher — $32,180
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $31,930
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $31,260
- Waiter and Waitress — $31,200
- Bartender — $31,200
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $31,200
- Cooks, Fast Food — $30,860